Pet names inspired by The Hunger Games

Meagan Morris is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist living in New York City. In addition to SheKnows, Morris contributes to many publications including The New York Times, Yahoo! News, PopEater, NBC New York and Spinner. Follow he...

Is your pet a Katniss or a Peeta?

One of the biggest reasons we love The Hunger Games is because it's filled with strong, capable characters who don't need the help of a man (cough, Twilight's Bella Swan, cough) to be complete.

Each character in the the trilogy has a distinct set of strengths and weaknesses, making them great names for your furry friends. Which will you choose to fit the personality of your pet?

The Hunger Games is an unstoppable juggernaut: The film, based on the book by Suzanne Collins, has earned a staggering $460 million in the three weeks since its release.

We expect to see a new generation of pets to grow up with strong names inspired by The Hunger Games. And why not? The film's many characters have distinctive personalities that would fit as names for animals with similar traits.

Need inspiration? We've dissected the characters in The Hunger Games and matched them with their animal counterparts.

Fun names for female cats or dogs

Katniss

Katniss Everdeen is the heroine we love in The Hunger Games trilogy — and for good reason. Katniss is strong, independent, agile, loyal and a bit detached from emotion. Basically, she's a one-woman army who can take on anything — or anyone — who comes up against her. These traits make Katniss the perfect pet name for a dog with the same sort of personality: Akitas.

Akitas are known for their loyalty to family — just as Katniss is loyal to her sister, Primrose. The breed is known for its agility and independence — and they can be ruthless if the situation calls for it, just like Katniss.

Foxface

Foxface, the redheaded tribute from District 5, earned her nickname based on her features and sly hunting style. Foxface manages to outsmart nearly every tribute and is only brought down by some poison berries.

We love the name Foxface for a little feline friend. After all, Foxface could have easily had the name Catface — they both share silent-but-deadly hunting styles and can move around unnoticed by larger predators.

Oh, and we think it's pretty hilarious that Foxface's curiosity is what ended up killing her — just like "curiosity killed the cat."

Primrose

Primrose Everdeen is Katniss' younger, timid sister, who was originally chosen as tribute for the Hunger Games. In the first book, she's tiny and constantly terrified, reminding us a lot of a Chihuahua. Now, now — we love the little lap dogs, but they're not exactly known for their strength and even temper.

Effie

Effie Trinket is the bubbly yet proper woman who is tasked with bringing Katniss and Peeta from District 13 to the Capitol. She's eccentric, with her pink hair and makeup — and she totally reminds us of a poodle. Maybe it's the crazy hair, but we can totally envision a poodle version of Effie Trinket. Plus, Effie is a girly name, making it a perfect choice for a miniature version of the curly-haired pooch.

Honorable mentions

The Hunger Games is filled with strong female characters who would make perfect namesakes for your pup or kitty, including Rue, Glimmer and Clove.

Edgy names for male cats or dogs

Cato

Cato is the intense career tribute from District 2. He's totally intense, intelligent and focused on one thing: Winning at any cost. These traits make Cato a perfect name for a German shepherd.

German shepherds are used in military and police forces around the world, thanks to their acute intelligence and strength. Unlike the character Cato, however, German shepherds are intensely loyal to their loved ones and are a good pet for those with the ability — and patience — to train them properly.

Thresh

Thresh is the hulking giant who came to the Arena with Rue from District 11. He's intense and ruthless when necessary, but loyal and caring — he spared Katniss' life for protecting Rue. This sums up the personality traits of a pit bull perfectly: Pitties are large and intimidating, but very loyal and caring when it comes to the ones they care about. Plus, the name Thresh just sounds like it belongs to a strong, muscular dog.

Peeta

Peeta Mellark is Katniss' fellow tribute from District 12. The handsome young son of bakery owners has harbored a crush on Katniss for years and, despite the nature of the games, is willing to risk his own life to help Katniss. What better name for your loyal Labrador retriever than Peeta? Labs are known for their loyalty and steady tempers, just like Peeta. Plus, Peeta's hair in the film reminds us of a yellow Lab.

Cinna

Cinna is the flamboyant and loyal stylist who gets Katniss ready for her debut in the Capitol. His strong, striking appearance helps Cinna get attention wherever he goes, just like a chow chow. Chows are known for their poufy manes and black tongues, which set them apart from the rest, just as Cinna sets himself apart from the pack in the Capitol.

Honorable mentions

We're also loving the names Seneca (after Seneca Crane) and Haymitch (after former Hunger Games winner Haymitch Abernathy) for dog names. Got a male cat you need to name? We think Caesar (as in Flickerman) would fit nicely, too.

Tell us

Which other characters from The Hunger Games would make good pet names?